In God We Trust

"IN GOD WE TRUST" as it appears on the reverse of a United States twenty-dollar bill, above the White House
Capitalized "IN GOD WE TRUST" on the reverse of a United States twenty-dollar bill

"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the official motto of the United States[1][2][3] as well as the motto of the U.S. state of Florida, along with the nation of Nicaragua (Spanish: En Dios confiamos).[4][5] It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956, replacing E pluribus unum ("Out of many, one"), which had been the de facto motto since the initial design of the Great Seal of the United States.[6]

While the earliest mentions of the phrase can be found in the mid-19th century, the origins of this phrase as a political motto lie in the American Civil War, where Union supporters wanted to emphasize their attachment to God and to boost morale.[7] The capitalized form "IN GOD WE TRUST" first appeared on the two-cent piece in 1864 and initially only appeared on coins, but it gradually became accepted among Americans.[8] Much wider adoption followed in the 1950s. The first postage stamps with the motto appeared in 1954. A law passed in July 1955 by a joint resolution of the 84th Congress (Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 84–140) and approved by President Dwight Eisenhower requires that "In God We Trust" appear on all American currency. This law was first implemented on the updated one-dollar silver certificate that entered circulation on October 1, 1957.[8] The 84th Congress later passed legislation (Pub. L.Tooltip Public Law (United States) 84–851), also signed by President Eisenhower on July 30, 1956, declaring the phrase to be the national motto.[8][a] Several states have also mandated or authorized its use in public institutions or schools;[9][10] while Florida, Georgia and Mississippi have incorporated the phrase in some of their state symbols. The motto has also been used in some cases in other countries, most notably on Nicaragua's coins.[11]

The motto remains popular among the American public. According to a 2003 joint poll by USA Today, CNN, and Gallup, 90% of Americans support the inscription "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins;[12] and a 2019 student poll by College Pulse showed that 53% of students supported its inclusion in currency.[13] Some groups and people in the United States, however, have objected to its use, contending that its religious reference violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.[14] These groups believe the phrase should be removed from currency and public property, which has resulted in numerous lawsuits. This argument has not overcome the interpretational doctrine of accommodationism and the notion of "ceremonial deism". The former allows the government to endorse religious establishments as long as they are all treated equally, while the latter states that a repetitious invocation of a religious entity in ceremonial matters strips the phrase of its original religious connotation.[15] The New Hampshire Supreme Court, as well as the Second, Fourth, Fifth, Sixth, Eighth, Ninth, and Tenth Circuits, have all upheld the constitutionality of the motto in various settings. The Supreme Court has discussed the motto in footnotes but has never directly ruled on its compliance with the U.S. constitution.[16]

  1. ^ "H. CON. RES. 13" (PDF). United States Government Publishing Office. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2019-05-13. Reaffirming In God We Trust as the official motto of the United States
  2. ^ "Title 36 – Patriotic and National Observances, Ceremonies, and Organizations". United States Government Publishing Office. Archived from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2019-05-12. §302. National motto "In God we trust" is the national motto.
  3. ^ "36 U.S. Code § 302. National motto". Legal Information Institute. Archived from the original on 2019-02-07. Retrieved 2019-05-12. "In God we trust" is the national motto.
  4. ^ "Florida State Motto In God We Trust". www.netstate.com. Archived from the original on 2017-06-14. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  5. ^ "State Motto". Florida Department of State. Archived from the original on 2018-02-16. Retrieved 2018-02-24.
  6. ^ Bittker, Boris; Idleman, Scott; Ravitch, Frank (2015). Religion and the State in American Law. Cambridge University Press. p. 136. ISBN 9781107071827. Archived from the original on 2021-04-22. Retrieved 2020-11-12 – via Google Books.
  7. ^ Lienesch, Michael (May 2019). ""In God We Trust:" The U.S. National Motto and the Contested Concept of Civil Religion". Religions. 10 (5): 340. doi:10.3390/rel10050340.
  8. ^ a b c "History of 'In God We Trust'". U.S. Department of the Treasury. 2011. Archived from the original on 2016-04-17. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
  9. ^ Kelley, Bryan (25 September 2019). "'In God We Trust': Public School Displays of the National Motto". Education Commission of the States. Archived from the original on 2021-05-25. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  10. ^ "Display of National Motto in Public Schools" (PDF). National Conference of State Legislatures. September 2019. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-06-20. Retrieved 2021-05-25.
  11. ^ "Billetes y Monedas en Circulación". Central Bank of Nicaragua (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2019-07-04. Retrieved 2021-05-29.
  12. ^ "USA Today/CNN/Gallup Poll results". USA Today. 2011. Archived from the original on 2022-01-08. Retrieved 2011-11-15. C. The inscription "In God We Trust" on U.S. coins; 2003 Sep 19–21; Approve 90; Disapprove 8; No opinion 2
  13. ^ Kabbany-Fix, Jennifer (2019-08-28). "Nearly half of college students believe 'In God We Trust' should be removed from U.S. currency: poll". The College Fix. Archived from the original on 2021-05-26. Retrieved 2021-05-24.
  14. ^ "Atheist in battle to remove 'In God We Trust' from US currency". The Daily Telegraph. London. 2010-03-12. Archived from the original on 2013-10-31. Retrieved 2014-02-04.
  15. ^ Drakeman, Donald L. (1991-01-01). Church-state Constitutional Issues: Making Sense of the Establishment Clause. Greenwood Press. ISBN 9780313276637.
  16. ^ Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).


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